Ricerc@Sapienza

Deafness manifests its most significant effects in the language sphere. The effects occur in the comprehension and production of oral and written messages. Deaf people can present an extremely complex and idiosyncratic form of bilingualism that could be defined as bimodal, dilalic and simultaneous. For these reasons, the application of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) principles in the construction of language proficiency tests for deaf users requires special precautions. In the present work, after analyzing the linguistic implications that deafness brings with it, the authors pro- pose strategies that the four Centers, which can issue an Italian language proficiency certificate, could adopt in evaluating deaf learners. Furthermore, the authors offer a questionnaire including deaf candidate’s linguistic informa- tion; they also suggest adaptations based on the linguistic characteristics determined by this particular form of bilingualism, along with a reflection and an open discussion about it.